Progress in the field of engineering and manufacturing light emitting diodes (LEDs) has resulted in an increased interest in employing LED lamps in general lighting applications. Particularly, an interest exists in replacing fluorescent lamp tubes with LED lamp tubes. LED lamp tubes offer several advantages over traditional fluorescent lamp tubes. For example, LED lamps have a significantly longer life than fluorescent lamps and do not contain the dangerous chemicals that fluorescent lights depend upon for their fluorescence. Fluorescent and LED lamps, however, have different electrical requirements for the fixtures into which they will be installed.
Fluorescent lamp tubes generally have an end cap located at each end of the fluorescent lamp tube. Electrodes located on the end caps, commonly referred to as “pins,” are used to electrically and mechanically connect the fluorescent tube lamp into the fixture. Having electrodes at both ends of the tube allows the electrical power to flow across (i.e., through) the lamp tube, causing the lamp tube to fluoresce. Thus, the fixture into which a fluorescent lamp tube is installed will maintain the first end of the tube as electrically positive and the second end of the tube as electrically negative.
LED lamps, on the other hand, require a low voltage source. Indeed, LEDs generally provided within LED lamps require a direct current (DC) voltage. Thus, LED lamps configured in this manner require driver circuitry which regulates the voltage passed to the LEDs. However, conventionally configured driver circuitry does not require the first end of the tube to be electrically positive and the second end to be electrically negative. As a result, a fixture designed for fluorescent lamp tubes may not be readily appropriate for use with LED lamp tubes, without some degree of modification, such as the non-limiting examples of replacing lamp holders, rewiring existing lamp holders, and the like, so as to convert the fixture for use with LED lamps. Notwithstanding the above, certain LED lamps may incorporate alternating current (AC) voltage components; however, modifications remain likewise necessary in that context, as with DC voltage sourced lamp tubes.
Because a huge number of fluorescent light fixtures are currently in use, converting and/or modifying each fixture, whether DC or AC sourced, in one or more of the manners described above would involve a considerable amount of effort and money. Therefore, if various advantages of LED lamp tubes over fluorescent lamp tubes are to be fully realized, a need exists for an LED lamp tube that can be readily installed and used with existing fluorescent light fixtures, without expensive modifications or replacement of the fixtures.